Sou Ni Tile

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Originally released in 1998, Amadou and Mariam's debut recording took the blind couple's pentatonic (built upon five tone scales) Malian R & B around the world. As neither was born into the Jeli (praise-singing hereditary musician) caste, they were free from the outset to incorporate non-traditional musical influences and write topical lyrics.

The first track, "Je Pense a Toi (I Think Of You)," got a special nod from radio programmers. On it, Amadou's wily, funky guitar and rough-shod Bambara vocals were supported by rustic fiddles, an Arabic flute, Fender Rhodes and Hammond organs plus swaggering brass and growling bass lines, with Mariam's soulfully feminine voice shadowing his like a guardian angel.

But when she emerged to sing lead, as on "Mouna," her sinuous, Islamic-tinged singing could stand comparison with the greatest West African stars. The duo's later output is far more polished and the Manu Chao-produced Dimanche a Bamako (Sunday In Bamako -- 2005) is undeniably a personal best.

But their first album showcased two artists at the apex of a breakthrough and no collection of their works can be considered complete without it. --Christina Roden